OUTDOORS TRAVEL -- If you're looking for an outdoors-related road trip, complete with opportunities for hiking, fishing and wildlife watching, consider the drive to Oregon's Steens Mountain.

Zach Urness, outdoor writer for the Statesman Journal, notes that it's been called the most spectacular drive in Oregon.

The Steens Mountain Loop Road departs the tiny, historic town of Frenchglen and climbs Oregon’s eighth-tallest mountain on a tour of massive gorges, vast panoramas and one of the most spectacular lakes in the Pacific Northwest.

The 52-mile loop is the state’s highest road and found in its southeastern corner, rising above the high desert like an alpine island, he says.

Last year, Urness wrote a story about backpacking and hiking into the gorges of Steens Mountain.

This year, he's written a detailed report focusing on the family-friendly highlights that can be enjoyed right along the road.